Her Pendant and Her Knight
by EX-Justice
Summary: In an alternative universe, the brotherhood of two knights is poisoned by the announcing of the engagement of the princess. How will the three childhood friends pull through their relationships, with an empire seeking to invade on the background? Rated T
1. Prologue

First posted fanfic (more like first fanfic good enough to post). This will end up being a long one so please bare with me guys :D. Comments and stuff are welcome, everything is copyrighted to their respective owners (which means the text is copyrighted to me :( )

This is a tale of death and suffering; of remarkable people who chose to stand against the darkness; of knights fighting the legions of evil; of princesses pure of heart… Most **importantly, this is tale of human beings seeking love, hope and truth despite the barren reality they lived in.**

**Prologue**

She lies against the ground, amidst a sea of armored corpses, the rain falling on her graceful face. A pool of blood grows under her abdomen, drenching her cerulean battle-gown, but she smiles at the blue sky, slowly blinking as her vision begins to blur. An emerald pendant lies in her hand, gripped tightly between her failing fingers.

"No pain…. This isn't so bad…" she whispers, smiling.

Suddenly, she feels something warm on her face: "What's this? Tears?"

Her warm tears mix with the falling raindrops, glistening her skin to a luminous glow.

_Clunk…Clunk…Clunk_

She tilts her head to the side, her long blonde hair spreading like a wing behind her. She sees him, running up to her with his hand on his shoulder; his red armor dented and broken; his movements hampered by scores of wounds.

"My lady! Ashe! Where are you? Ashe!", he shouts at the sea of bodies. He turns around, frantically, his other hand still on his shoulder. He suddenly spots her, and hurries over to her side.

"No…. No… This can't…My lady…. I told you to stay back…" he cries, slamming the ground with his fist.

She reaches out with her arm, slowly, and caresses his face gently:

"I never listen to orders, you know that… Orders make life boring. And we're past formalities Zack… " she replies, still smiling.

"Don't cry Zack, I don't want my last memory of you to be of you being all sad"

Zack forces a smile, tears still dripping from his eyes: "I'm going to save you, I've got to, you're going to marry Angeal and have…. Children… and be happy"

Ashe puts a finger to his lips: "Be still… You're still in denial over us? You know I don't love him…"

Zack turns away and whispers: "Don't say that… I… I… I love you but… I couldn't save you" he whimpers, wiping his face on his gauntlet.

Ashe slowly pulls herself off the ground, grimacing at the pain in her abdomen, causing Zack to rush over to support her.

"What the are you doi-"

Ashe leans forward and seals her lips on his. The rays of light from the sun cause the falling raindrops to glow in a million different colors, sending vibrant reflections everywhere except at Zack's black, spiky hair.

"You have already saved me Zack" she manages, smiling. "Hold me"

Zack pulls her close; he smells the scent of wildflowers coming from her hair, and inhales deeply.

"The sky is so blue" she whispers.

"I'm going to find the evil in this world… a-and destroy it for good. And then I'll come to find you, where ever you are. I vow it"

A long silence, Ashe smiles and closes her eyes.

"You're so wishy-washy".

"Will you wait for me till then?" replies Zack, turning his head away.

She pulls back and holds his face, and Zack rubs against them gently, trying to catch all her warmth.

"I will…", she says, her tears falling without her being aware of it.

A mist surrounds the two lovers, and Zack watches as fragments of Ashe's body fall of and rise into the air, as a mixture of emerald feathers and pink petals.

"No… No, not yet, please!" he pleads.

Ashe smiles and shakes her head, standing up with him.

"Don't cry… Here, take this" she takes his hand and places the pendant in his palm. Zack gazes at it, and then back at Ashe.

"This way… I'll be with you, always. When you're lonely, take it in your hands... And think of me," she grins at him. More fragments run off her body, and she shivers

"It's getting cold…"

Zack pulls her back into his arms, shuts his eyes and cries into her shoulder. He wanted to awaken from this nightmare; he wanted to escape.

She strokes his hair gently, soothing his pain.

"I'll be waiting for you… Until then" she seals her answer with a last kiss, before disappearing in his arms into a thousand feathers and a thousand petals, rising up in the air. Zack's arms realize that she's no longer there, and he watches as her fragments disappear, only to lower his head to try and stop the tears. The rain continues to beat against his armor, forming a pool of sadness beneath him.

Suddenly, a ray of sunlight lands on his face, and he lifts his face at this consoling beam of warmth. Turning, he sees Angeal walking over, his white armor dented, with a look of disbelief and canger on his face. Zack tried to call out to him, but Angeal simply shook his head and walked away, despite Zack's calls to him.

Zack gasped for air as he sat up on his bed, grabbing his head his hands. He looked at the clock and realized that it was still late at night. Sighing tiredly, he pulled himself out of bed: his whole body was drenched in sweat, thanks to the nightmare that had plagued him for the last 10 years, since Ashe had died. Gazing out of his small countryside house, Zack repeated the same motion he always did to calm himself: he got himself a glass of water, put on his bathrobe, and went outside on the porch to sit under the night sky. The nightmare never changed- Ashe was dying over and over again every night, and the image of Angeal's face was still raw in his mind as it was 10 years ago at the battle of the Cerulean Plains. Sometimes, the nightmares would go away for a while, but never permanently. Sooner or later, they would return to plague him.

Zack yawned and ruffled his hair; he realized that the prince of Arkadia would be visiting soon, supposedly to strengthen the bond of friendship between the Empire and Ivalice; but privately, everyone knew that he was bringing tidings of war- a threat of submission, to say the least. Zack smiled and shook his head: his quest on the defeat of evil had not progressed very much at all; arresting bandits was his main job out here in the countryside. He rarely visited the city: the place had too many memories and reminders for Zack's liking.

Glancing at his suit of armor in on its stand, he stood up and went to his table. Lighting a lamp, he re-read the letter that he had received from his cousin- his niece would arrive next week as well, from their home in Arkadia, and his cousin had asked him to take her in for the duration of her visit. Zack looked closely at the photo his cousin had sent: Alicia had dark brown hair, and wore an armored corset on top of a shirt and pants;a warrior-tomboyish that made Zack smile. She really bore an uncanny resemblance to Ashe, even to the emerald pendant that was slung across her neck.

Zack swallowed. The memories were pouring in


	2. A Memory Dawns

Hey guys, This is part 2 of this EPIC tale: I just wanted to point out that in the original version, I have inserted the names of different songs that should be played during a certain part of the story (mostly asian music, DBSK and Ayumi). If anyone wants the "recommendations" please ask somehow (like in a review!), because I'm not sure does fanfiction allow this kind of action.

Anyway enjoy, and look forward to part 3 (I'm pretty sure you can guess the topic of part 3 already)

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She was buried at their home city, in a beautiful white gown, where the three of them had grownup, under a sea of flowers, where they often spent time together as kids. Angeal had looked grim and disappointed at the funeral, but he didn't cry. His friend simply turned to look away, but Zack could sense a fleeting feeling of sadness lie within him. However, Zack didn't blame him, he knew that despite the private times both had spent together, despite that night the two spent together, despite the arranged marriage; despite it all, Ashe did not love Angeal.

Ashe had been the princess of the Kingdom of Ivalice, and had been friends with Zack and Angeal since childhood, whose parents served in the Royal Imperial Court. The three of them always used to play together, and despite being a princess, Ashe was a tomboy, while Zack had always been the shyest, and Angeal was the loudest. As time went by however, Ashe grew into her role of a graceful princess, and the three of them spent less and less time together. Angeal had felt that this was stupid, and had complained loudly about it in his usual manner, until one day coming up with a brilliant plan:

"Zack, let's become knights!"

"What?"

"Knights! Like in our games you know! Shining armor and striking lances and steel blades!" he exclaimed, waving his hand around clumsily with his imaginary sword.

"You're crazy. Us, knights? Everyone in the Kingdom dreams for that job!"

"Yeah but only we will get it, unless you're too much of a coward!" said Angeal and made a raspberry at Zack, who jabbed him with his shoulder.

Angeal Despalus was the prince of Nebudis, an old northern kingdom long since conquered by Ivalice. However, he never bared a grudge against Ashe or Zack, and thought to make the best of his situation. His parents, though dethroned, remained Consuls of the Nebudian Kingdom. Angeal wanted to put the past behind him, and thought that enlisting in the Order of Knights he could overcome his fears and doubts by earning glory.

And so the two trained long and hard as knight supplicants, bleeding and sweating for 4 years, before being promoted to full knights of the order.

Angeal, who was brave and bashful, immediately set out on quests for glory in the barren Outlands, far from Ivalice; Zack remained in Ivalice, going on excursions against nearby beasts and scarecrows, and dueling other knights from other cities. His success earned him the nickname Red Glint, as his movements were told to be like a blur in the midst of battle. Angeal's successes were more well known: at age of 19 he had been inducted into the elite Guardian Knights (thanks to his successful raids against the Almatian pirates), a group of 12 knights who served directly under the orders of the king: Angeal became the Guardian Knight of Seven, and was known as "The White Shield". Both knights were distinguished by their unusual weapons: Angeal wielded a customized lance and shield, while Zack wielded a twin-barreled revolver and a large blade which could split into two dueling swords.

Despite being overshadowed, Zack was never bitter for his friend: he worked his way up the ranks, eventually being posted in the Imperial Palace under the direct command of Judge Magister Bennet, one of the most respected Knight-Judges in the kingdom. Inadvertently, Zack bumped into Ashe a lot at the palace corridors. He was always a subject of gossip, thanks to his close relationship with Ashe, but he never minded them. They were friends, and to him that was enough.

On a spring morning, while walking through the marble-lined beige corridors, he found Ashe unaccompanied, sitting by the window sill, looking out of the giant oval windows that defined Ivalician architecture. She wore a pink dress, but had no jewelry on, save for the emerald pendant that she always wore.

"Sometimes I feel like a trapped bird in a cage" she sighed as he moved towards her.

"Don't say that my lady, the people love you and adore you…You're in everyone's hearts" consoled Zack, respite in his red battle armor

"Hah! That's nice but, I want to live a normal life too… Go out with friends… Live a normal life… like you. " She blushed, and grinned at Zack.

"I must respectfully disagree with that", Zack replied. The gawking looks that he got in public were proof enough that people held him in both awe and fear.

"When was the last time we went to do something together, Zack?"

"A month I suppose, since the last festival of the moonlit butterfly, my lady."

"Drop the 'my lady' please, at least when we're in private!" she sighed in frustration.

"My apologies my l- Ashe. I'm just so used to-"

"So used to being all formal with your close friend?" Ashe winked.

Zack grinned: "You could put it like that."

"Your knight training has made the both of you boring, you know."

Zack began to retort, but suddenly Ashe got up and tugged at his arm.

"Let's go do something!"

"Uh…. Now?"

"Yeah, come on!"

"But I'm still on duty, with my armor… Judge Magistrate Bennet would never allow you to go out unprotected like this!"

"So… you can be bodyguard!" She grinned mischievously. Her teeth were really beautiful, like white pearls against her skin. She suddenly put on her royal facade: "Her Royal Highness princess Ashelia of Ivalice orders you, Sir Haven, to accompany her and to protect her on this excursion into town".

Zack sighed, and raised his hands in submission. Whenever she smiled, it was impossible to say no to her. Zack had learned this the hard way.

_That one time… During the festival, She got me bad with that same trick…_

"Fine, where do you want to go?"

"Let's go… To the town markets! There's always new and interesting things there!" she exclaimed, pulling Zack behind her. Zack took a glance at his equipment: his segmented sword, Cold Flame, and his twin-barreled revolver, Weeping Flower, rested at his sides. He nodded and followed Ashe out, telling a passing messenger to take word to the Judge Magistrate, though he was sure that he would be scolded anyway.


	3. SIDE STORY: Cascading Feelings

Apologizing to all readers for the delay, writer's block and laziness teamed up against me :(. Anyway, it seems that the flashback is going to take quite a while! Reviews,comments,rants are always welcome :)

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During the second month of spring, Ivalice held its traditional "moonlit butterfly" festival for the 370th time. The festival stood out from all other holidays for its purpose: to celebrate the eternal cycle of change- the balance of light and dark, the complementary forces of yin and yang. To the people of Ivalice it represented a time of plenty: farms were harvested, the soil reverted into its natural state, ready for next years' harvest. It marked the official change of the year for the followers of the lunar calendar, while for others it marked the coming of midsummer. The festival featured fireworks, dancing, music, and feasting. However, all this paled in comparison to the main event:

The releasing of a thousand enchanted glass butterflies across the procession of lotus flowers and lanterns on the Ivalician gathered around the lake to watch the spectacle, enjoying the cool summer night breeze and the fairy-like twinkling of dancing fireflies. -

Legend has it that long ago, a young peasant man and the sheltered, beautiful daughter of a noble lord met and fell in love. Though their love was pure and true, it was impossible for them to marry, due to the difference in social standing. The girl's father absolutely refused to sanction such a union, instead bringing his own marriage candidate to his daughter. The young peasant was banned from seeing the girl, but received messages carried by her own trained butterflies. Eventually they were discovered, and the fiancé of the girl grievously wounded the man in his jealousy.

Driven by grief and worry, the young maiden took her own life. It is said that Athena herself wept at the wasteful loss of such a beautiful, graceful being. The young man too, was stricken with grief, and constantly prayed to the gods to see his lover one more time. The gods took pity on his plight and turned one of the girl's butterflies into glass. From then on, whenever the butterfly passed under a ray of moonlight, the man could see his sweetheart illuminated on the other side, in the land of the dead.

Of course, the original meanings and symbolism of these traditions were all but lost to most people , overshadowed by life's mundane worries and prosaic troubles. Now, it was simply a festival that one would celebrate with their special someone, their childhood friends, and crushes. Girls took time to wear the elaborate and complex summer dresses, complete with effervescent hairstyles. Their partners were usually much more prosaic in clothing, but sharp-looking nonetheless. They took to the streets in small groups and pairs, forming long processions of crowds amidst vibrant colors and sounds of the night.

Zack hurried through the crowded main street; there was noise and shouting voice everywhere: groups of young children scrambled from stall to stall, eager to try out everything before their eventual bedtime. In contrast, the couples in the crowd savored their moments together slowly, taking in every detail, and praying for time to stop like lovers do. He edged his way through the crowd sluggishly, bumping and apologizing without end. Finally, after what seemed like an hour, the crowd thinned, and more and more imperial guards were appearing amidst the crowd. Many were not in uniform, acting as "undercover" protection, though Zack doubted that protecting the princess was the first priority on their minds; he had passed more than just a few drunk guards hitting on young girls while on his way to the palace.

Zack sighed and closed his eyes. He had to focus; he was supposed to be the Princess's "escort " for the night, at least officially. Ashe had toyed with him, a habit that grew as she became proficient in the art of diplomacy, deliberately keeping his role ambiguous:

"So I'm to accompany you, my lady?"

"Well, I guess you could put it that way… to the Judge Magistrate, at least". Ashe waved her attending servants and maids to leave, giving the two some privacy. Her bedroom was large and ornate, decorated with an vivant emphasis on pink, with large windows and checkered glass doors leading to a balcony overlooking the city.

"My lady? I'm afraid I don't quite follow", asked Zack as the last of the servants left the master bedroom. Even without their presence, his training as a knight made him obstinate in addressing Ashe informally. "What about the other guards? Where will they be placed? And what about transp-"

Ashe sat up on her queen-sized bed and raised a finger to her lips. She smiled mischievously.

"Everything has been taken care of, so you can just relax," she broke off, approaching him slowly. "And how many times do I have to remind you not to cut it with the honorifics when we're in private?"

_Oh crap_

"Y-yes, I'm sorry… Ashe" Zack stuttered. "Then if everything has been taken care of, please excuse me, I must go prepare my equipement," he said, backing slowly towards the door.

Ashe swirled around to block his way to the door: "No armor and no weapons Zack. You're accompanying me, not guarding me".

"I'm bad company, Ashe. You've known me since we were kids: Angeal was always the talkative and fun one. I'd just ruin the evening somehow. Anyway, I'm sure there are numerous princes from the nearby kingdoms who would do anything for an opportunity like this, why not send a casual invite?"

"Because I do not want to spend this special festival with a charlatan or a sycophant?"

Ashe turned away and dropped her head, pretending to be disappointed. "Or perhaps you've already found prettier company than me?"

"N-no! Of course I haven't!" Zack replied quickly. At his reply, Ashe turned suddenly and skipped over to stand in front of him, placing her head on his chest piece.

"Then perhaps you don't think I'm good enough? You're so mean Zack… Dear," she teased quietly.

Zack sighed and clenched his hands. He hated it when she called him Zack-chan; it was enough to make him feel like the weak little boy he had been as a child. After gathering his courage, he stepped back from Ashe and bowed slightly, his hand moving down to the pommel of his sword. A ray of moonlight glossed over him, illuminating his armor as he spoke.

"This knight would be honored to accompany you, Ashe".

Ashe shaked her head and tutted him, unimpressed by this fleeting change in appearance.

"I don't want a knight to accompany me; I want a Zack to accompany me," she said.

" Come on Zack! How long has it been since we've had a chance to go out and have fun together?" asked the princess in an apparent, innocent manner.

Zack swallowed; from past experience, nearly every kind of "fun" that he knew Ashe enjoyed was either dangerous, humiliating, or both.

"Alright, I know… If you agree to come tomorrow, I'll give you a very…" she began to glide towards him

"…Special…"

She was in front of him, eyeing him teasingly.

"…Surprise"

She stood up against him, gazing with her large, hypnotizing eyes.

_OH Crap_

To say yes would risk his career (if someone important, such as the king, happened to get the wrong idea), but to say no would risk it as well (as there was nothing quite as dangerous as an angry or hurt Ashe).

"I-I'll pick you up tomorrow at eight," stammered Zack as he turned on his heel and walked quickly out of the room, "Now If you'll excuse me, I must…. Ah.. See to the changing of the guard. Please get some rest, m'lady". Zack closed the door and jogged as fast as he could through the hallway to leave the palace: he needed fresh air, immediately.

"Aww… Zack's such a spoilsport", sighed Ashe loudly as her knight left the bedroom. She turned to the windowed balcony, where the preparations for the festivals were already underway. What seemed like a thousand itinerant specks of light hurried about in the main street, setting up stalls and cleaning up roads.

Ashe collapsed back onto her bed. She was exhausted: signing forms and attending events all day had clearly sapped at her strength. Her eyelids were closing by themselves, and her body felt heavy as she drifted to sleep.

"… And such a blockhead too", she uttered as darkness overtook her.


	4. SIDE STORY: Twilight of the Night

Zack shifted from side to side uncomfortably in front of the palace gate: he hadn't worn his dress uniform for ages. No matter how badly he tucked and adjusted it, the uniform was still far from comfortable. And on top of that, while hurrying to the palace, he had broken a sweat. By now, he was drawing the attention of not only the palace imperial guards, but also passing couples on their way to the festival events.

"Stupid… Piece of… Why did I even pay for this", he sighed, trying to button his right sleeve in failure.

He was waiting for Ashe, who had skillfully and unwaveringly demanded him to be his escort the night before. As usual, he was early, but Ashe was nowhere to be seen. Being a princess required one to be discrete, especially with so many people watching your every move. Already as children, Ashe had often been forced to sneak out of the palace in secret to play with her commoner friends Angeal and Zack.  
Even though being late it had become a sort of custom between them, Zack always arrived on time: he was a punctual man; though in his childhood he had been highly forgetful concerning meeting times (especially when coupled with all the knowledge noble children were expected to memorize in their youth).

With nothing better to do, Zack looked up at the night sky and hummed a faint melody. The evening wind blew gently across his hair, and he yawned.  
He remembered it was Ashe that had started his habit of being punctual, when he had been late for her 16th birthday.

A young girl's 16th birthday was supposed to be a celebration of her step into womanhood, coupled with jovial feasting and energetic dancing. For a while, Ashe's event was a successful party: laughter could be heard all over the ballroom, while Ashe greeted guests in her usual polite, courtly manner. All this changed however, when she inquired her butler, Alfred, if Zack had arrived: unexpectedly, he had not.

As expected, Ashe had exploded. She had taken a sullen mood, refused to continue to greet her new guests, and even spilt wine on her dress. Despite Angeal's comforting and soothing, Ashe didn't relent on her anger: the fact that he wasn't there during the most important event in her youth infuriated her deeply. She always had had a closer, more special relationship with the quiet, thoughtful Zack than the bashful Angeal, although the latter was more talkative and socially active. While Angeal would go around making new friends in the city, Zack would close himself in the dojo or in the workshop. Zack always paid extra attention and effort to anything he was doing, always striving for excellence in all things, be it studying, singing, or fencing. His birthday gifts to Ashe were always self-made, expensive, and exquisite. In a way, he seemed to be trying to make up for his lack of social skills and self-esteem by constantly striving to impress others, especially the more poplar Angeal, and it was this part of Zack's personality that attracted the young princess, who felt a similar pressure as a figurative head of state.

An hour passed as Ashe pouted in her room, cursing Zack for his forgetfulness, promising that she would punish him when he arrived. Angeal, left outside the door sighing and shaking his head after delivering the princess, had left to rejoin the party: he saw the event as a chance to make new connections and to raise his social prestige- moves that would serve him well in the future.

Suddenly, the great oak doors boomed open, and a wet, soggy figure stepped into the entrance hall, accompanied by some footmen. The whole room seemed to go quiet, as everyone stared at this dirty newcomer. After a moment of mixed shock and disbelief, it was Alfred stepped up towards the young man, and offered to take his coat, while telling the other footmen to inform the princess that her cavalier had arrived.

When news of Zack's final arrival spread throughout the ballroom to Ashe's ears, she started immediately and stormed towards the entrance, with a furious look on her face. She felt betrayed: indeed it had taken all her will to even get up and go see Zack, as understandably he was the last person she wanted to see. As she approached the doors however, she suddenly lost her grip on her anger: Zack, his suit soaked and his jet-black hair a wet mess, was standing in front of the doors with his head hanging. In his hands, he cradled a soggy, soaked, silver-wrapped parcel, which he held in his shivering hands.

Zack looked up slowly at Ashe, and extended his arms with his present, which he slowly offered to Ashe, as if probing her anger.  
"I…I got caught in the rain… Dad was out and…. I'm sorry Ashe, I've spoiled your party, haven't I?" he mumbled, looking away dissapointedly.

Ashe thought differently. She flung herself on Zack, and immediately hit him on the chest repeatedly, but not too hard, just hard enough. Just enough to let him know that she was there. Just enough reassure herself that he was there.

"You dummy… you Big Dumb Dumb Dummy!", she mumbled as she continued to hit him. Zack took the blows in silence, resigned to his punishment.

"Ashe, my present… you'd better check if it's still okay"

Ashe opened the parcel, slowly. Inside, was a green jewel lined with gold, connected to a long gold chain. An exquisite emerald pendant, carved with a gold-lined image of her ornate family coat-of-arms. It glittered brilliantly, the falling light reflected in a thousand different angles, the warm green glow filling up the entire room.

Ashe, clearly shocked and amazed, put her hand to her mouth, her eyes opened wide with wonder.

"Zack…This is….", she had mumbled, followed by the most crushing hug Zack had ever experienced.

Yeah… I used to be more gloomy back then. Almost got killed by Ashe too… At least I'm over that phase now.

Zack looked down and smiled. Ashe had changed him, or rather healed him, by showing that even royalty had a human side to themselves.

"I owe a lot to that spoiled brat…" He muttered to himself.  
"Excuse me? You owe a lot to who?" came a quick, familiar reply.

Oh Shit

Zack spun around, and naturally, came face to face with the princess, her head tilted at an angle and her teeth gritted in anger. Zack hypothesized that she had tried to surprise him, and had caught his off-hand remark by accident.

"My Lady Ashe! Ah… I was referring to… Sir Despalus! I received a letter regarding his immediate return to our beloved capital, and… while I was waiting for you, I took the pleasure of reminiscing over our adventures together!"

Zack made a silent prayer, while Ashe still looked at him in doubt.

"Zack… I hope you realize that, at an utterance by me, I could have you exiled, tortured, or worse?" she smiled innocently.

Zack immediately bowed his head elegantly: "Of course my lady, I would never dare to upset you".

What seemed like an eternity passed before the princess spoke again:  
"Well?"  
Zack fidgeted: "Well… What , My Lady?"

"Aren't you going to compliment me on my appearance this evening?"

Zack's mind stopped. In his nervousness, he had completely forgotten to look at Ashe's appearance. But now that he had, he could not find the proper words to describe his feelings. Her turquoise evening gown was elaborate, but warm enough for the slightly chilly night, revealing her exposed shoulders down to the top of her bosom. He noticed that she was wearing the old pendant he had given her, and smiled despite himself.

"What are you staring at, Sir Haven?" came a voice filled with mischief. "Could it perhaps be this conveniently-placed pendant here?"

Zack blushed, but forced some steel into his voice:  
"You- You look stunning Ashe", he said tremblingly.

Ashe smiled at him: "You don't look half so bad yourself. Ah, but your necktie is crooked. Here, let me help you". Ashe stepped up close to Zack, and began fixing his tie. Zack gave a big swallow: he was sure to Ashe, this was just a game of tease, but for him it was a constant battle of willpower.

Stepping back, Ashe nodded at her handiwork: "Much better. But seriously, you need to relax! I refuse to have a stiff mannequin as my partner tonight. Now come on, let's go!"

She took off suddenly towards the lantern-lit streets, waving for him to come after her:  
"If you don't hurry up, I won't give you the surprise I promised you!"

Surprise? You don't mean…. No – No way…

He had a few clues about what that surprise might be, and he suspected all of them would eventually end in scandal, pain, and exile. Zack took a big swallow, and took off after Ashe, dashing through the narrow streets and corridors.

"May I inquire Ashe, what is this surprise you're referring to?" he asked in concern.  
Ashe spun around, her silky, long blonde hair swaying around her graceful head.

She winked at him as she teased him:  
"That's a se-cret , Zack", she answered as seductively as she could. "It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you now, would it?"

Oh crap.

It was going to be a long and eventful night.


End file.
